The spontaneous pleasure of dancing is obvious among children and young adults. Introducing children to Scottish country dancing and encouraging them to continue dancing either as an after school activity or as part of the curriculum will challenge them mentally and physically. Dance helps develop spatial awareness, self-control, self-discipline, teamwork and healthy living. This can lay the foundation for life-long engagement and enjoyment of an enriched life.

Our qualified teachers are very experienced in organizing and leading ceilidhs, private classes, structured classes for school dance programs, Physical Education for home schooling and elective classes for chartered schools. Our branch has a variety of classes suitable for children of all ages and young adults for both school credit and leisure.

Scottish country dancing mainly uses three musical rhythms: Lively Reels and Jigs and elegant, slower Strathspeys. Waltz and Marches are occasionally used in country dancing but regularly used in ceilidhs. When you listen to the music for Scottish country dance , here in the Bay area, you’ll typically hear fiddle, piano percussion and sometimes, bagpipes. The accordion is less used than in Scotland and other areas of the world.

A quick, lively tune with a 6⁄8 time signature. It is in compound time – it has two beats in the bar where each beat is divided into groups of three.

The Reel is fairly fast in tempo and is in 4⁄4. The melody is usually smooth and each beat is equally divided into groups of two or four.

Also in 4⁄4 the Strathspey is played at a slower pace than Jigs and Reels and can feature the ‘Scotch Snap’. a short-long rhythmic figure that is equivalent to a 16th note followed by a dotted 8th note.

A familiar dance in 3⁄4 that has captivated the ballroom since the1780s

Marches were originally composed for marching to and associated with the military. They can be in 2⁄4, 4⁄4 or 6⁄8 and have a strong steady pulse. In concerts, a march is often heard in a set with a strathspey and reel.

The quality of music available for Scottish country dance in the Bay Area is astounding. We are most fortunate to have a large pool of breathtakingly talented musicians who not only play individually for our weekly classes but also are band members who provide wonderful music for every event. It is most magical to dance to these outstanding music that swept dancers off their feet. Below are the local bands we often enjoy.

Many of the musicians are actively teaching. If you are looking for music teacher please click here.

Interested in trying out or learning more about Scottish country dance music you can contact us or visit our Bookstore. We have a wide selection of books and CDs produced locally.